A New beginning
by Penelope-Jane-Avalon
Summary: What really happened to Arthur after Merlin left him in the boat, floating to the mysterious Isle of Avalon? Was he really dead or had Merlin given up hope a little too soon?


Arthur looked up into Merlin's stricken face. It was just too late. Despite all Merlin's efforts Arthur knew he was dying.

As Merlin's tears fell on Arthur's cold cheek, Arthur managed to say what he would have said so long ago.

"Thank you."

His eyelids fluttered and as the sights and sounds around him faded away, the pain finally disappeared.

Like everyone, Arthur had often wondered about death, but what happened next was nothing like anything he had ever imagined.

He found himself looking down at Merlin and his own dead body. Merlin, still holding his Arthur's lifeless body in his arms, was shouting strange words into the sky.

From the clouds, a huge scaly dragon appeared and as it settled on the ground Merlin spoke to it.

Arthur could not make out what was being said, but Merlin dragged Arthur's body until he had it astride the dragon's neck and then they were flying.

From high above them, Arthur followed.

It was as if he was being tugged along by an invisible cord. Nevertheless with every beat of the Dragon's wings Arthur seemed just a little further behind.

He willed himself to keep up. He had to see what would happen next. He wanted to understand.

The dragon descended, and as it landed by the lake of Avalon, once more the creature spoke to Merlin.

Merlin was now more distressed than Arthur had ever seen him and Arthur longed to speak to him. He knew it was too late, but he would have given anything to reach out a hand and tell Merlin that it was all right. He didn't hurt any more. The terrible pain was gone.

But all he could do was watch.

Arthur watched Merlin drag his body into an old boat and it took all of his strength to manage this task alone. But it seemed that Merlin would not give himself a moment's rest till he had Arthur's body laid out inside the dilapidated vessel.

For just a moment, Merlin laid his hand on Arthur's forehead and Arthur knew his friend was saying his last goodbye.

Then Merlin stretched out his hand and the boat moved out into the calm waters of the lake

Merlin watched for a moment and it broke Arthur's heart to see him weeping as if his world had come to an end. Why did Merlin care so much?

Arthur knew he had never treated him like the true friend he had always been. Despite Merlin's best efforts, he had made fun of him, played practical jokes on him, and generally treated him as if he was just a little bit stupid. How terribly wrong and needlessly unkind he had been to the one person he had secretly always relied upon.

In Merlin's position he would not have wasted one single tear on such a master.

What made it worse was that Merlin had more power in his little finger than Arthur had, fully armed, and mounted on the best steed in Camelot.

"I'm sorry Merlin,' he shouted.

But his voice was nothing more than a whisper in the wind.

Merlin turned away from the lake and, as if he could no longer bear to look at the boat and its cargo, he almost ran back into the woods.

Arthur tried to see where he was going but the trees blocked his view and in seconds Merlin was gone.

The invisible cord, if indeed it existed, must have been stretched to the limit now, for Arthur was looking down at the lake from an impossible height.

The boat looked like a child's plaything, and his own body, nothing more than a broken toy soldier.

This was death, he thought. This was the end. So much he should have said and now it was too late.

"Merlin, Merlin! I'm sorry. Please forgive me," he shouted.

But his knew Merlin would not hear him, for the living could not hear the voices of the dead.

Slowly the mists rolled in over the lake, and Arthur was suddenly aware of a bright light that seemed to surround him. The sky glittered with a million stars and their brilliant light seemed to be calling him upwards.

And he wanted to go, but just for one last time, he looked down, hoping against hope that he might catch a glimpse of Merlin.

He could not see Merlin, but, below him, far, far away there was another boat.

It came as fast as a horse in full gallop yet it had no sail and there were no rowers to propel it through the water.

Just one man, stood at the prow.

The boat came along side the one bearing Arthur's body, and its pilot, lashed the boats together.

With the strength of two men he pulled Arthur from one boat to the other as if he weighed no more than a child.

Like a man possessed, he tore off Arthur's boots, socks and gloves and roughly rearranged Arthur's limbs so that his hands and feet were pressed against the hull of the boat.

And then Arthur was falling. Falling, faster than he had ever fallen in his life.

Blind Panic gripped him, and he cried out.

But there was no feeling of impact and to his utter confusion he found himself looking up at the face of the boatman.

As he tried to make sense of it all, the pain returned and it was far worse than before. He felt as if his guts were being sliced with a knife, forged from ice and as the cold seared his flesh, he looked up in terror, as the man standing over him started to cut open his chain mail tunic and his shirt.

With all his strength, Arthur tried to sit up and push away the shears the man was using.

But all he could do was raise his head and as he did so, he saw a sliver of jagged steel push up from his wound.

The pain was so intense, Arthur felt as if he was splintering him into a thousand pieces. He tried to speak, but the boatman ignored him. Reaching down he ripped the metal from Arthur's body, and flung it into the waters of the lake.

Immediately, the previously calm waters started to churn and foam and with a blinding flash, lightening split the sky.

As the vessel was tossed in the rough water, Arthur grabbed at the side of the boat.

Unbelievably, the pain was gone and with every passing second his strength was returning. As the dark clouds gathered overhead, the boatman gave what could only have been a great sigh of relief.

"Thank the Gods I was in time. A few more minutes, maybe even seconds and you would have been beyond my reach. I saw the stars. I saw the dead coming for you."

Arthur put his hand to his head. He was utterly confused. Who was this man? What on earth was happening?

"I…I thought I was dead, " he spluttered, "I thought it was the end. How is it that I am alive again? At least I think I am alive."

"You live Arthur, though it was touch and go. You are a great king, probably the greatest there will ever be, but you have not yet had enough time to make your mark. There is still so much you need to do and so, while there are those who can prevent it, death may not claim you."

Arthur ran his hand up and down his arm. He certainly felt alive.

"But who are you?" he asked.

"You must be a great sorcerer to resurrect me like this."

The boatman shook his head.

"Me? I am just the ferryman for this craft is the ferry between the world of men and the world of magic. Beyond the mists lies the Isle of Avalon and it is to the island that Merlin was sending you. But it was too soon. There are still many changes that must be made, still many things you must learn. "

"I'm sure there are …." began Arthur, but the boatman continued.

"You must be the example by which all others are judged and Camelot must be famed across the world, as a model of fairness and honour. Magic must live again and all those who live in fear and hiding from your father's laws must be free to practice their arts and live in peace."

He held out a hand to help Arthur onto a seat.

"You have made a great start, Arthur, but there is much more to do.

Avalon, will not take you yet.

You must continue to build your great kingdom and put right what is wrong."

"I…I want to do that. " replied Arthur earnestly, "I want to be a better king. If nothing else, I need to…apologise….to…"

"To Merlin? Yes you do. He is a great sorcerer, but he is still so young. His only teacher has been your physician, and even now he hardly understands how powerful he is.

He has made mistakes, but only because it is not in his nature to hurt anyone. He could have killed Morgana many years ago, but he could not bear to see the sorrow of those who loved her.

He thought if he was always by your side he could prevent the fulfilment of the prophesies, that spoke of your death by Mordred's hand.

But his task was just too great and everything he did was hampered by the need to keep his magic a secret.

He did his best and had you not lost the horses, you would have reached, the lake in good time."

Arthur looked over the water towards the shore.

"Poor Merlin. He is just so…kind. He is not a warrior. He is not like me."

"He is like you in more ways than you think. But above all he is your conscience Arthur. You must heed his council for he knows what is right even if he has not always been able to do what was necessary.

You know the truth now. You know he is not just your servant and in your heart I think you have always known it."

Arthur nodded, distractedly.

"There was always something…..something about him that I did not understand. Sometimes he just seemed so wise, so much cleverer than me. Now I know he is more than I could ever hope to be. He has more powerful magic than I have ever seen and without him and his magic, I do not know if we could have defeated the Saxons."

He held out his hands.

"And this must be magic too. For, I was dying. I thought I WAS dead. Yet as soon as my body touched the wood of this boat, I was alive again. How can that be? How can a boat bring me back to life?"

"This boat is hewn from the oldest trees that grow on the Isle of Avalon and Avalon is the place, from which all magic flows. The power of the island is contained within every splinter, every shard of wood that makes up this craft. So, when your flesh touched it, the magical power of the island flowed through you too."

The boatman smiled warmly,

"The world of men needs you Arthur and the Lady Vivienne, the ruler of Avalon, would ensure that you endure for many years to come.

Now you know the truth about your servant, you will be a thousand times stronger than you were before. You can continue to build your kingdom until its reputation will last for eternity."

Arthur got to his feet, making the boat rock.

"I must find Merlin. He needs to know that I am alive."

"Sit down Arthur. I will take you to the shore this minute. A storm is coming and you must find Merlin before the rain wipes away his tracks. He will not be heading for Camelot, for he is ashamed of what he sees as his failure. It consumes him. He no longer cares for his life because he cannot see how he can live it with this burden of failure upon him. You must find him before he loses all hope."

Before the boat had bumped against the gravel of the shore, Arthur was leaping into the shallows.

Carrying his boots above his head, he waded to the shore. There he discarded his ruined chain mail, heaved his boots on over his wet feet and raced towards the trees.

He did not look back for somehow he knew that the boat would already have vanished.

As predicted by the boatman, the rain started to fall and lightening crackled through the black clouds overhead.

A forest of tall trees was hardly the best place to be in such weather but Arthur was just glad that the trees sheltered the ground below from the worst of the rain. With any luck Merlin's tracks would still be visible.

As the rain hammered down harder, there was an ear-splitting crack as a bolt of lightening hit a great oak tree.

The ancient tree, already partially decayed, burst into flame and by the light of the fire Arthur saw Merlin.

He was sitting, leaning against a muddy bank under some overhanging roots. The roots provided hardly any shelter and his clothes were already wet through.

He head was resting on his knees, his face turned towards the bank and

despite the noise from the lightening he did not move.

His stillness frightened Arthur. Merlin looked lifeless.

"Merlin," he shouted, "Merlin! It's me, Arthur. I'm alive!"

Still the desolate figure did not move and Arthur could not tell if his voice had been heard over the noise of the downpour.

He knelt down, reached out, and touched Merlin's thin cold shoulder.

"Merlin. It's me Arthur. I'm alive! Alive! Do you hear me?"

And Merlin finally lifted his head.

He blinked his glassy eyes as if uncertain of what he was seeing.

"Arthur? No, no you're dead. The dragon told me I was too late." He shook his head.

"This is a trick. What are you? A shade, some creature from the underworld sent to torment me?"

He pushed Arthur's hand off his shoulder, shying away as if Arthur were something evil.

But Arthur reached out again.

"No Merlin it IS me. You got me to the lake just in time. A magic boat came, a boat from the island of Avalon and I was saved."

"A boat? From Avalon?"

"Yes, yes and I'm alive. Look! Touch my hand. I am no corpse."

Merlin's tragic expression seemed to dissolve into one of disbelief, confusion and then finally, hope.

He reached out for Arthur's hand, grasped it, first with one hand and then with both.

"Is it really you? I didn't fail? I really didn't fail?"

Arthur smiled, "No Merlin you did not. You saved me, as I now know you must have done many, many times before. I owe you my life Merlin. In fact I now realise I owe you everything!"

He tugged on Merlin's icy hands.

"Come on, let's get out of this awful rain or we will both die of cold. Lets go back to Camelot and tell everyone the good news"

He stood up and pulled Merlin up with him.

Merlin stood unsteadily and gazed into Arthur's face, his eyes questioning and once more shaded with sadness.

"You want me to come back with you? Even though I am a sorcerer? Even though I have deceived you all these years?"

"Yes Merlin, YES. I want you to come back to Camelot. Didn't I tell you that before…..well…. before I died? The way I treated you when you told me you were a sorcerer was just stupid, just ridiculous! I should have realised that the only reason you didn't tell me was because you thought I would send you away. But I understand now. I do. Don't you see? I was a just a stupid fool, because without you by my side I would have achieved nothing. I see that now. I need you to help me make Camelot great. I can't do it alone."

"You have Gwen and Leon and the rest of the knights of the Round Table."

"Yes I have them all and Gwen I love more than my life, but you Merlin…..you are my, my ….best friend. You are the brother I always wanted but never had. You have always been by my side and quite frankly I don't think I can carry on without you."

"But you always said…."

"What….that you were an idiot, that you weren't brave, that you didn't understand affairs of state? Well Merlin I was wrong. I was so wrong. You are a greater man than I will ever be"

Arthur put both hands on Merlin's shoulders and forced Merlin to look at him.

"And you know what the worst of it is? In my heart I always knew that you were important to me. I knew that I relied on you, that when things got really bad you were the one person who could always give me answer and yet I was just too arrogant and too stupid to tell you. I was too much of a….a dollup head to tell you or to give you the respect you deserved. Please forgive me."

And then Merlin started to smile. His grin spread across his whole face until it was a picture of happiness.

"So I really will get more days off…I think you said something about two?"

"Two days off? Are you joking? All your days will be yours to do with whatever you want…well unless I need you for er …um….advice or something.

You will have a new position. You will be the, the….. "Kings Special Advisor." I'll get that idiot who makes jokes about brass to take your place. He's gagging for promotion."

Merlin laughed, "You'll replace me with him? Really? You'll get fat. If I remember rightly he gives you far too much for breakfast."

"I am not fat, but on second thoughts…maybe, maybe, I'll just give up this man servant thing. The cleaning gets done anyway and the washing can go with Gwen's and her maid can do breakfast and…..what else do I need?

Still laughing, Merlin shook his head.

"You, without a servant? I'd like to see that!"

"You will. Now come on. You're cold. I'm freezing and Camelot is waiting. It's going to take us ages to get back to Camelot on foot and, unless you can magic up a couple of horses, we have a long walk ahead."

With that Arthur thumped Merlin on the arm, ruffled his hair, and dragged him out into the forest.

"Why do you always have to hit me?" grumbled Merlin.

Arthur laughed, "Because,… because…..you're my friend, you idiot!"

And then, the laughter gone, he said, honestly, "And I hope you always will be."

They found a place to get out of the rain soon enough. It was a small cave, the opening protected by hanging branches and creepers .

It was dark and chilly inside but Merlin started pulling the foliage from around the entrance and gathering up the leaves and twigs from the ground and the floor of the cave.

"This will never burn,' said Arthur. "Most of this stuff is wet through."

Merlin smiled.

His eyes went from blue to gold and Arthur watched in amazement and the pile of soaking leaves and branches burst into flames.

"Amazing! You are even more talented than I thought. I really wish I could do that!"

"You don't have to," said Merlin, cheerfully, "you have me to do it for you."

"Can you magic up some food?" asked Arthur hopefully.

"Um…. I'm not sure. The last time I tired for strawberries I got a red flower. Right colour, wrong thing. Magic seems to be good for inanimate things like wood, but not always so good when you want to just get something from nothing. I'll try though. Maybe I can get some apples…..maybe?"

Arthur watched, utterly fascinated, as Merlin stretched out his fingers and said something he did not understand.

And there they were. Five, shiny, red, apples.

Merlin looked as surprised as Arthur.

"It worked!" he said delightedly, "I must be getting better at this Here taste one."

Arthur did not need to be asked twice and the fruit did not disappoint.

"Oh this is wonderful Merlin, tastes like the best, fruit ever. You are a genius. Try one yourself."

Merlin bit into one of the apples and chewed slowly.

He nodded, "Yes they are quite good, but you eat Arthur. I am tired. I just want to sleep."

He rubbed his head and gathered together some dry leaves to make himself a mattress.

"I…I just want to close my eyes…just for a little while….then I'll get more wood for the fire….but just for a few minutes….."

Arthur studied Merlin's pale face, suddenly aware of just how drained Merlin was.

If Arthur himself had been through an ordeal then Merlin had suffered just as much. He was quite clearly exhausted and Arthur was ashamed of himself for not realising how much the last two days had taken out of his friend.

Merlin had tried his hardest to get Arthur to Avalon in time and then at the last moment, almost in sight of his goal, he thought he had failed. Arthur could only imagine how badly that must have affected him.

Arthur shook his head. As usual he was only thinking about his own needs. He didn't feel tired. He felt better than he had ever felt in his life. He felt as if he could run all night, yet already Merlin had curled up by the fire and his eyes were closed.

Arthur watched him sleep as darkness came and then, the magical fire still burning, he made his own bed of leaves and lay down beside Merlin.

There was no need to keep watch tonight. Arthur felt as if they were surrounded by magic and whatever happened in the outside world, here, on this night, they would be safe.

"Goodnight friend,' he whispered and then he closed his eyes.

Despite the inadequate damp bedding and the hardness of the cave floor, sleep came quickly to Arthur and soon he was dreaming of Gwen and Camelot.

When he woke the first rays of sunlight were just creeping through the trees.

He sat up and stretched.

It being September, it was cold and the fire had burnt itself out.

They needed more wood and something to eat.

Arthur was about to shake Merlin awake when a thought came to him.

Merlin was always the one collecting wood, filling the water carriers, washing his clothes, cleaning his armour, and writing his speeches. In fact now he came to think about it Merlin did practically everything for him. And how did Arthur reward him? By making fun of him and accusing him of cowardice.

As Arthur remembered his behaviour, he cringed. Even if Merlin had not been the greatest sorcerer the world would ever know, there was no excuse to treat another human being so carelessly.

Picking up a stick, Arthur wrote in the dirt, "Gone for wood and food."

Then he slipped out into the morning air.

Fuel for the fire would be easy to collect for with Merlin's power anything would burn. Food was more difficult.

There was a stream fairly close by and Arthur headed for it, hoping that there might be fish. Although he had never caught a fish himself, he had seen Both Lancelot and Merlin do it in the past.

Fortunately, despite losing both his armour and his sword, Arthur still had his knife, in a sheath attached to his belt.

Carefully he cut a slim straight sapling and then tore some strips from his ruined shirt and used these to attach the knife to one end.

He now had a makeshift spear.

He stood patiently on the bank of the stream, 'spear' in hand and was rewarded by flashes of silver as fish swam in the clear water.

Taking aim carefully, he flung his homemade spear into the water.

The fish scattered.

He tried again and again and on his sixth attempt finally speared a small fish.

It would hardly be enough to make a meal for two grown men, but Arthur felt incredibly pleased with himself.

After many more fruitless attempts, he finally got the hang of it and ended up with five fish, which he thought would make a decent breakfast for himself and Merlin.

As he threaded the fish onto a stout stick, he caught sight of some blackberries growing near the water.

He reached out and plucked one from the bramble.

It was surprisingly sweet and immediately reminded him of Gwen's blackberry and apple pie.

Despite being the queen, she still made pies for Arthur and since they were his favourite food, he had long since given up telling her that the queen should not make her own pastry.

He picked as many blackberries as he could find and then wrapped them into parcels with some large leaves. However, Arthur was then at a loss as to how to carry everything safely back to Merlin.

After a moment's thought, he tied together the ends of his ripped shirt and used it as a makeshift basket, just as he had seen the peasant girls do with their aprons when they were gathering fruit.

He smiled to himself. What would his subjects think if they could see him? Hardly kingly behaviour!

When he got back to the cave, Merlin was standing at the entrance.

His eyes lit up when he saw Arthur, striding towards him.

Arthur dumped everything on the floor and with a flourish said,

"Breakfast is served!"

Then he frowned.

"Damn, I forgot the firewood!"

Merlin shook his head.

"I can't believe it. You're up, dressed, well almost, and out hunting without any help from anyone at all. This has to be a first!"

Arthur shrugged.

"Didn't need to get dressed, because I hadn't taken anything off and hunting is my forte. The blackberries didn't stand a chance!"

He looked round.

"All we need is to get this fire going again and we can eat."

For once he did not wait for Merlin to start gathering stuff to burn. He just went back outside the cave and started picking up kindling.

Merlin watched, a happy smile on his face, and wondered why he had not told Arthur about his sorcery years ago.

With the fire blazing, and the fish cooking, Arthur chopped the two remaining apples(and the one that Merlin had taken a couple of bites out of), into small pieces and mingled them with the blackberries. Then he wrapped them in leaves again and put these as close to the fire as he could. With any luck, the result might be a bit like blackberry and apple pie.

When the food was ready, they both ate ravenously, Merlin declaring that he had never enjoyed any food so much.

Arthur glowed with pride.

"Maybe I could get into this cooking thing," he said, thoughtfully, wiping his purple stained fingers on his ragged shirt.

Merlin grinned. Arthur had never looked dirtier or less royal in all the days he had known him but, strangely enough, he had hardly ever looked happier either.

Arthur kept up a ferocious pace as they hurried back to Camelot. He could not imagine how Gwen would be feeling and in his heart, he guessed that everyone had already given him up for dead.

He was sure that Gwen would make a wonderful queen, for he had no doubts about her abilities. Nevertheless he was desperate to get back to her and to the castle.

Thanks to Merlin they had won a great victory and he wanted his people to be celebrating, not mourning the death of their king.

Much to Arthur's disappointment, Merlin had been unable to conjure horses out of thin air, but every few miles, Merlin would use his powers to scan the way ahead and he was optimistic, that there would be stray horses somewhere in the wood. After all, many animals would have lost their masters in the carnage of battle.

As they walked, they talked. It was something they had always done, especially when they travelled alone. In the past Arthur had poured out his heart to Merlin about his feelings for Gwen, but now for the first time Merlin felt they were talking as equals.

The first thing they discussed was what happened to Arthur after his supposed death in Merlin's arms.

Merlin was intrigued by Arthur's description of floating above his own body and his feeling that he was in some way still attached to his own corpse.

"Gius has many old books in his chambers," said Merlin thoughtfully, "and there was one I read called "The Ka of the Wandering King"

The Ka was supposed to be a spiritual entity, which resided within the king's body. When the king was asleep, his Ka would float away and wander the streets looking for those who were plotting against him. In the book the king is seriously wounded in battle twice and believed dead. Each time his Ka leaves his body and watches the King being carried from the battlefield. The King however then recovers and his Ka is immediately pulled back into his body. "

Merlin put his head on one side. "That sounds a bit like what happened to you don't you think?"

Arthur agreed, "But I have never been aware of part of me wandering about Camelot at night. Surely I would remember something like that."

Then his expression changed.

"I tell you what I do remember," he said, "and I bet this has happened to you as well. You know when you wake up with a start and you have that awful 'falling' feeling? That was just how it felt in the boat, so maybe when you get that feeling in bed, that's just the spirit part of you 'falling' back into your body."

Merlin nodded enthusiastically, "That would make sense," he agreed.

But then Arthur's thoughts moved swiftly on to the dragon.

"You were talking to a dragon," he said.

"Was that the dragon that terrorised Camelot before I supposedly killed it…..although….." he eyed Merlin suspiciously, "I didn't did I?'

Merlin smiled sheepishly, "Yes, I'm afraid it was and no, you didn't kill it. I am a dragon lord Arthur and the dragon must bow to my will."

"You? A dragon lord? But then why did we have to go looking for that 'Balinore' bloke? You obviously got rid of the dragon on your own."

Merlin suddenly looked strangely sad and Arthur wandered what on earth he could have said to cause such a change in his demeanour.

"What?" he asked, "What's the matter?"

"Balinor was my father," said Merlin, softly.

"Gius only told me on the day we left to find him. When he was killed, his power passed to me and I became a dragon lord."

Arthur was floored. He did not know what to say.

"And I was so rude about him, and I told you not to waste your tears….. Merlin what can I say? I am sorry. If I'd known….. If…only…."

"It doesn't matter Arthur. You were not to know and at least I got to meet him and to spend a little time with him."

"I'm still sorry," insisted Arthur, "and while I'm at it, can I just say sorry again for all the stupid idiotic things I said and did before I died…..well sort of died. It really is all going to be different from now on. I promise. Your father really was a brave man."

They were silent for a moment and then Arthur had another question.

"If you don't mind, I would like to understand about this 'dragon lord' thing. If the dragon has to obey you, why didn't you just make it fly us all the way to Avalon? I think I would have enjoyed that."

Merlin frowned.

At first I didn't think we would need Kilgharrah {that's his name by the way}, but by the first night, I knew we needed help.

While you slept, I called him but he did not come. I know now that Morgana had imprisoned him in a whirlwind from which he could not escape. As he flew away, from the lake, I could hear his thoughts. But he is thousands of years old and for a long time Uther kept him in darkness and chains in a cave under Camelot. When he escaped, I think his imprisonment had taken its toll. Although he seems to see the future and has tried many times to warn me, I don't now if he really knows WHEN things will happen.

I will leave him in peace for a while but when I call him again, you must speak to him. He is not the monster many would think. Uther's treatment drove him half mad and his lust for revenge overpowered all of his more noble characteristics. Now he is free, he wants only to see magic brought back into the world of men and he believes you are the man to do it.

Apart from the white dragon, whom Morgana has bound to her cause, Kilgarrah is the last of his kind, so although he believes his end is near, I hope he will not die for many years to come."

Arthur immediately picked up on Merlin's reference to Morgana.

"You talk about Morgana as if she were still alive. You killed her Merlin. Remember? She cannot call any creature to her allegiance anymore."

Merlin put his hand on Arthur's arm.

"I didn't want to say anything, but if you can come back to life, then unfortunately, it may be entirely possible that Morgana can do the same.

In that book I told you about…"

"The one about the wandering king?"

"Yes. Well, there was a reason why he was called the 'wandering' king.

When he was finally, irrevocably killed by his enemies, they left his body lying where it fell. They felt it would be a final insult for the defeated king to be eaten by wild dogs and vultures.

But after they had gone, a young beggar boy came wandering by. He was starving and searched the body for money or something he could sell. The King's body was not yet finally cold and as the boy touched the king's hand, his Ka flowed out of his body and into the young boy's.

At first the boy appeared his normal self, but bit by bit and day by day, the king's spirit began to consume him. Gradually the boy became selfish and suspicious just as the king had been and as the years went by, his appearance too began to change.

By the time he was eighteen years old, he resembled a man in his thirties and once more he gathered an army around him. He became powerful again and conquered his enemies. He ruled again, under a different name in a different land and when he once again succumbed to his battle wounds, he took the body of the woman who came to wash his corpse. Like the boy, as the years went by so her character and appearance changed. And the 'King' ruled again, a strange androgynous creature, but even more powerful than before."

"And you think Morgan will be able to do the same?"

Merlin nodded.

"When she died, it was if a door had been shut on the evil that was streaming from her. But even before we reached Avalon, it was as if that door had been pushed open again…..just a tiny crack, but enough for me to know that something of her was still in this world. I should have stayed to make sure no-one touched her until her body was ice cold, but I didn't even think about it until your story reminded me of that book."

"Maybe it's just a fairy tale," said Arthur hopefully.

"Yes …maybe." In any case, now I can be open about my magic, I'm sure I can keep you safe."

Arthur ruffled Merlin's hair.

"You really can can't you? I still can't get used to it. But if anyone upsets you, you just splat them with your magic. You're like a secret weapon. Why oh why was my father so stupid about magic?"

Arthur grinned but then he shivered.

"I'm cold. I hope there isn't a frost tonight especially if we have to sleep out in the open. D'you think we can walk a bit faster….keep warm that way?"

Merlin stopped and took off his jacket.

He offered it to Arthur.

"Here, you wear it for a while?"

"Really? No I couldn't. You'll get cold and I might stretch it or something."

"I have got another one at Camelot, Arthur and I'm not saying wear it all the way home. I'm just suggesting that we share it. You know a couple of hours each."

Arthur beamed.

"Well then , thank you. Thanks a lot."

Gratefully Arthur put on Merlin' battered jacket. Once he would have made comments about it smelling funny. Now he was just glad of the warmth it provided.

For a while the sun came out and time passed quickly. They talked of many things that had happened in the preceding years and Merlin suddenly brought up something he had been wanting to speak to Arthur about for a long time

"Arthur, you know you said that the Isle of Avalon was ruled over by a sorceress called Vivienne. Do you remember the other Lady Vivienne?"

Arthur grimaced.

"Do I? I will never forget. I nearly lost Gwen for good that time. I suppose you had something to do with breaking that particular spell. But imagine if you hadn't. I might have been married to that ghastly woman, even now."

Merlin grinned. "She was pretty awful wasn't she? But I'm mentioning that incident for another reason."

"Oh really? What would that be?"

"I want to talk to you about Lancelot. I've wanted to for a long time but without telling you about my powers, I don't think anything I could have said would have made a difference."

Arthur frowned.

"What d'you mean Merlin? Explain yourself."

"Well, when Lancelot came back, it wasn't really Lancelot at all. It was a 'shade'."

"A what? I don't understand. It was him Merlin. I spoke to him. I sat right beside him. Are you telling me he has a twin brother?"

"No Arthur," said Merlin, patiently, "The Lancelot you thought you saw wasn't human at all. In reality what you thought was your old friend was nothing more than a skeleton raised up from its resting place and magically clothed with flesh. When animated, by sorcery, it would have had no thoughts of its own and all its memories and actions would have been dictated by the one that raised it…in this case Morgana.

The real Lancelot would never have done anything so dishonourable as to try and steal Gwen away from you. Yes, the real Lancelot loved her, but once he realised that you had feelings for her too, he left Camelot rather than come between you. That is why he went away after you rescued Gwen from Hengist's castle"

"But if you knew Lancelot was a fake why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you wouldn't have believed me. The only proof I could have given you would have involved using magic and then you would have found out about me as well. Also Gius said that even if I could persuade you that Lancelot was a fake, it wouldn't have changed the fact that Gwen was attracted to him.

But you see Arthur, just as you were enchanted into falling in love with the monstrous Vivienne and she with you, Gwen was enchanted to into falling for Lancelot.

At the time I searched her house for some sort of love charm, anything I could show you to prove that she was not responsible for her actions, but I couldn't find anything. I was on the point of 'creating' one myself, but it was too late. You had found them together and Gwen was in the dungeon.

It was much later when the boy who cleans the cells, showed me a bracelet he had found. He wanted to give it to a girl he liked, but was afraid that someone would think he had stolen it. He found it in the cell that Gwen was in before you sent her away. As soon as I saw it, I could feel the magic emanating from it, and believe me, it was powerful magic. It must have been given to her to enhance the spell."

"So you're telling me that Gwen wasn't responsible for anything that happened and Lancelot, the real Lancelot wasn't involved at all."

Merlin nodded and Arthur rubbed his head.

"So many things I wish I'd known," he said, "I will tell Gwen what you've told me, as soon as I get the chance. I know what happened with Lancelot, still bothers her."

He looked up at the sky. The sun was already sinking and it would not be long before nightfall.

He sighed.

"I can't wait to get back to Camelot. I just want to see Gwen again and tell her that I'm alive."

He scanned the horizon, "But I don't think we have a hope in hell of getting there tonight. I think we better start looking for somewhere to make camp."

"Actually," said Merlin, "I think we might get back tonight."

Arthur saw Merlin's eyes glowing gold.

"What is it? What can you see? Horses?"

"Not just any horses, OUR horses. Well at least I can see Pebble and if she's there Kelpie won't be far away. He loves her."

"Oh Merlin you're such a romantic. Pebble must be nearly twice Kelpie's age."

Merlin laughed, but from the moment Arthur's stallion had arrived in Camelot, he had formed an attachment to the elderly brown mare, Pebble.

"Come on," he said, "you'll see."

As they got close, Merlin muttered a spell and two magic apples appeared in his hands.

Quietly he walked out into the clearing where the mare was standing.

As soon as she saw Merlin her ears pricked up and, as he held out the apple, she came towards him.

As she crunched on the apple, a black horse appeared from the shadows.

He shook his tangled mane and pawed the ground.

Arthur took the other apple and held it out to the stallion.

Kelpie, was indeed still young and after a few days of freedom was not as easily lured as his elderly companion.

Nevertheless, eventually the apple proved too tempting and Arthur managed to grab his bridle.

After that all they needed to do was check the horses tack was in order and mount up.

Doubtless spurred on by the thought of hay and oats, the two horses carried their riders at break neck speed through the forest. It wasn't until they got close to Camelot that the horses slowed.

"What is that awful smell?' asked Merlin wrinkling his nose.

"They must be burning the bodies from the battle. I would have thought by now that the worst would be over, but there must have been many unclaimed dead."

Merlin looked up at the sky. Big clouds were scudding over the face of the moon and the wind was strengthening. The wind was coming from the north, blowing across the battle field and straight towards Camelot.

Merlin did not hesitate.

Standing in his stirrups he spread out his arms and shouted into the wind.

Arthur watched in awe as the tress went still and then started blowing again, the prevailing wind now from an entirely opposite direction.

He sat back in his saddle and stroked Pebble's mane.

Arthur just watched, his face a picture of disbelief. For a moment he was completely speechless.

Then he said, "You really are amazing. All this time, you've been cleaning my boots, washing shirts, and polishing armour and you can actually change the weather. You are just….incredible!"

Merlin literally glowed with pride.

"I do it for you Arthur," he said, "I always have done."

Arthur could not answer.

What a friend he had in Merlin. Surely he was the luckiest king alive.

"Come on," shouted Merlin, already racing ahead on his elderly mount.

"Lets get home."

As they cantered into the meadow below the citadel, Merlin and Arthur instinctively slowed their horses.

As usual the meadow was calm and empty and above it, the white walls and spires of Camelot glittered in the moonlight.

"I never thought I'd see this place again," said Arthur, his eyes filling with unwanted tears.

He brushed his hand roughly over his face before turning to face Merlin.

"You brought me home Merlin."

Merlin wiped his own eyes. It was good to be back. In a few minutes he would see Gius and then after all the commotion had died down, finally get to fall asleep in his own bed.

But as he started to move forward again, Arthur reached out a hand to stop him.

"Is there any way that we can get in to the castle without anybody seeing us? I just want to see Gwen on my own…..you know before all the jamboree starts."

Merlin nodded.

"I understand, and to be honest all I want to do is sneak off to my own bed. However," he said with a flourish, '"fear not. I can get us past all the guards without a problem."

"You can?…..but of course you can! Lead on Merlin!"

As they approached the main gate, the sentries came forward, pikes in hand.

"Who goes there?"

Merlin didn't even bother with an answer. He merely spoke a few unintelligible words, stretched out his hand and both men crumpled to the ground."

"You haven't killed them, have you?" asked Arthur.

"No, of course not. They're just asleep that's all. Now, to open the gate before they wake up."

More strange words were spoken and the gate opened soundlessly.

The two men slipped inside into the courtyard.

The stables were close to the main gate and, dismounting, Merlin and Arthur led their mounts quietly to their stalls.

The stable boy, Porrig, was sleeping peacefully on his usual shelf near the back of the stable block.

As the youngest of the grooms, it was his job to watch over the horses at night.

The other servants thought he was a strange lad, more horse than boy, it was said. He had big brown almond shaped eyes, long wavy brown hair and a 'way' with horses that none could match.

Consequently as Merlin and Arthur made their way back towards the courtyard, Pebble reached out and nibbled Porrig's ear.

He woke immediately and stared in amazement at one of his favourite horses.

"Pebble," he murmured, reaching out a hand to stroke her muzzle, "where have you been?"

He spotted Kelpie in his stall, his nose already in a manger of hay.

In a flash Porrig was on his feet. The horses had not shut their stable doors on their own, so somebody must have brought them home.

He hurried towards the door of the stable block and saw two figures mounting the palace steps.

He could hardly believe his eyes. Everyone had said the King and his servant were dead. It had been proclaimed in the great hall.

Porrig didn't know who he was more pleased at seeing. His King or Merlin.

Merlin had always been kind and friendly towards him and Merlin was the one person who didn't seem to think him strange.

Had Porrig truly realised his own extraordinary talents and known more about Merlin, he would have understood why the servant made him feel so at ease.

For Porrig was a horse whisperer. Just as Merlin, the dragon lord, could talk to dragons, so Porrig could talk to horses. As the two men disappeared into the palace, Porrig went back to the horses and pressed his face against Pebble's forehead. He saw pictures in his mind of Arthur and Merlin's journey. He saw Merlin kill Morgana and then Pebble and Kelpie running alone through the forest.

Porrig never told anyone that he could read the minds of horses or speak to them through his thoughts. Instinctively he knew that with Camelot's laws against magic, his talents were best kept to himself. However when he 'saw' Merlin change the direction of the wind, he suddenly felt a lot safer.

Excitedly, he went back the horses and started to remove the saddles and bridles of the new arrivals.

When he had finished, he would go and wake the head groom and tell him what he had seen. The news was just too good to keep to himself and anyway if he did not report the return of Kelpie and Pebble he would be in trouble for not doing his job properly.

As Merlin and Arthur reached the doors to the royal apartment, Arthur turned to face his servant.

"I don't know how to thank you Merlin, for this and everything else. But tomorrow, I promise you I am going to start making up for the way I have sometimes treated you in the past. Anything you want and I do mean anything, you only have to ask."

Merlin's looked down at his feet. "There's only one thing I would like."

"Speak, anything, it's yours."

"You know when you said I was like the brother you never had…well if I was your brother, I would call you Arthur, wouldn't I?"

"Of course….so…."

"Well, I would just like to call your Arthur always, not 'Sire' or 'Your Majesty' or…."

Arthur had to stop himself from laughing out loud.

"Or 'cabbage head' or 'clot pole'. When have you ever bothered with my correct title?"

"I..I have…sometimes, when there are other people around or when you're being all 'I'm in charge' and 'I'm the king.'"

Arthur shook his head.

"What a strange creature you are Merlin. Anyone else would have asked for money or position, or something, but you… ?

Well you shall have your wish Merlin. As far as I'm concerned you are my brother and you will always be treated so. Happy now?"

Then he smiled, "Just don't call me 'dollup head' in front of visiting heads of state, otherwise I will have to tell everyone you are a bit simple!"

Merlin grinned from ear to ear.

"Goodnight then….Arthur." and with that he hurried off towards the court physician's chambers and Arthur slipped quietly into the royal apartment.

Arthur had expected to find Gwen asleep in bed but as he quietly, closed the door behind him, he could see that although the bed was unmade, Gwen was not in it.

A cold breeze drew his attention to the other side of the room, and there was Gwen, standing in nothing but her nightdress, by an open window.

In the candle light, Arthur thought he could see tears on her cheek.

For a few seconds he just stared at her in silence. He had thought he would never see her again, but here she was, a picture of sadness, but still so lovely.

He swallowed hard.

"Gwen," he said softly, "Gwen, it's me. I'm back."

She swung round, her mouth dropping open.

"Arthur? Oh Arthur, Arthur."

She flung herself across the room and into his arms.

"They said you were dead," she sobbed, 'and for a moment I thought….I thought…."

She clutched his face with both hands and smothered it with kisses, "but then…then I just felt you were still out there…somewhere." She smothered him with more kisses and Arthur held her tight.

"I love you Gwen," he said into her hair, "and I've missed you so much."

He stepped back a little so that he could look into her eyes.

He wiped her tears with his fingers.

"Don't cry Gwen. Everything's going to be alright. Merlin saved me. He's a great sorcerer. Imagine that Gwen. Merlin so clumsy and inept and in reality he is more powerful than a whole army."

"I know Arthur. Gius told me. But is Merlin safe too? You're wearing his jacket."

"So I am. I must give it back to him. He lent it to me, because it was so cold."

Gwen took Arthurs cold hands in hers and rubbed them.

"Oh you are cold. I'll order some hot water."

Then another thought struck her, "But why isn't the bell ringing? Why isn't someone spreading news of your return? Everyone will be so happy when they know."

"Merlin and I managed to get in without anyone seeing us. He put all the guards and sentries to sleep. Just amazing! We both just wanted a bit of time before….well before it all starts up again."

He pulled Gwen into his arms.

"I just wanted to be alone with you for a little while. I wanted to have time to talk to you about everything that has happened, and …. just have some time for ourselves."

He looked down at his ragged clothes.

"I know I'm filthy, but there must be some cold water round here so I can have a bit of a wash. I just don't want anyone else coming in here for now. I've been dreaming about this moment all the way home."

Gwen kissed him.

"I wouldn't care if you were covered in mud from head to toe. I'm just so happy you are home."

Merlin had felt sure that he could sneak past Gius easily without waking him. Gius's hearing was not exactly the best and most nights he slept heavily, snoring his head off.

Merlin was thus quite taken aback when he realised that there were three people in Gius's chamber.

His guardian was indeed snoring on his bed, but on the other side of the room was another bed and on this lay Gwaine.

Next to the bed and sitting on a stool that looked way to small to support his weight was Percival.

He was leaning against the wall, his head slumped forward on his chest. On his lap was an open book and at his feet were more of Gius's heavy volumes.

There was a candle in a lantern and together with the moonlight streaming through the window Merlin could see that Gwaine was impossibly pale. Had it not been for a flutter of his eyelashes, Merlin would have thought him dead.

For a moment Merlin paused by the door, trying to decide if he should sneak past everyone to his longed for bed, or if he should wake Percival and find out if there was anything he could do for Gwaine.

In the end there was no decision to make. Gwaine was Percival were two of the people he cared about most.

He tiptoed over to Percival and touched the knight's shoulder.

Percival woke with a start then grimaced at the pain from his stiff neck.

"Wh….what is it? Gwaine?"

Then he saw Merlin. His eyes lit up.

"Merlin! You're back. Thank the Gods!"

Merlin put his fingers to his lips but it was already too late.

Gias had woken.

"Merlin?" he asked, groggily, "Did someone say 'Merlin? Is he here?"

He struggled to his feet.

"Oh my boy. I thought you were never coming back."

He wrapped his arms round his ward and Merlin hugged him back.

"Are you alright my boy?" he asked, holding Merlin at arms length so he could look at him properly.

"I'm fine Gius and so is Arthur. He's with Gwen."

"I didn't hear the bell," said Percival. "Why hasn't someone rung the bell? This is the best news."

"Arthur just wanted some time alone with Gwen and some rest before, as he put it, 'the whole jamboree starts"

Percival frowned.

"But how did you get past the guards? If you could get in without anyone noticing, somebody isn't doing their job properly."

"That would be magic wouldn't it Merlin?" answered Gius with a smile.

Percival put a hand on Merlin's shoulder.

"How could I forget? I hear you are an immensely powerful sorcerer. How on earth did you manage to keep that a secret for so long….especially from us."

He waved his hand in the direction of the bed on which Gwaine lay.

"I'm afraid I felt I had to. I was afraid that if Arthur found out about my…er…skills, he would send me away. But he knows now and I don't have to hide my powers anymore."

"D'you think,…..when you've had a rest, you could maybe use your powers to help Gwaine?"

"What's wrong with him," asked Merlin, bending over the bed.

"We went after Morgana," began Percival.

In great detail he explained how they thought they had killed her and then how she retaliated with magic and overpowered them both.

"She tortured him," said Percival, "and I heard him crying out in pain. I don't know what she was doing to him, because there is barely a mark on his body, but it was," he winced, "the most pitiful sound I have ever heard.

Once she had the information she wanted, about where you and Arthur were headed, she left us."

"I managed to break the ropes that bound me, but I was too late. Gwaine managed a few words, just to say that he had let Arthur down and then…..nothing.

I thought he was dead. He was so cold and still. I cut his bonds and put him in a tree. I really thought I was just keeping his dead body out of reach of scavengers, and then I went after you.

But, I am ashamed to say, I lost your tracks. I was following the horses and by the time I got close enough to see they were rider-less, and tried to retrace my steps, your tracks had been washed away by the rain.

I thought about just heading for the lake, but I had never been to it before and I had no real idea in which direction it lay.

So, I went back to get Gwiane's body. I couldn't bear the thought of just leaving him there for the vultures and the crows. It was when I dragged him down from the tree, that I realised he was still breathing, but nothing I could do would wake him.

I brought him back to Gius and he has been as you see him now, since we got here."

"I think I can imagine what she used to torture him," interrupted Gius. "and trust me the pain would have been both physical and mental. I believe that his suffering was so great, that he has withdrawn from the world. His mind will not deal with what has happened."

He turned to Merlin. "I thought if we talked to him, if he heard the voices of his friends, we might be able to reach him. It's helped in cases like this before, but so far…..nothing."

"I ran out of things to say hours ago," admitted Percival sheepishly, "so I've been reading to him. Trouble is, no offence Gius, your books are so terribly boring, I just sort of dropped off."

Merlin smiled at the big man. Percival was a first class fighter and blessed with almost legendary strength, but at heart he was very much the gentle giant, and ferociously loyal to his friends. Books however were not one of his interests.

"I will speak to him," Merlin told him. "Maybe I can bring him back to us."

Merlin knelt down beside Gwaine's bed and laid his hand on the knight's forehead. He closed his eyes and grimaced as he felt Gwaine's shattered mind.

In his own mind he created pictures, pictures of Morgana's death, pictures of himself and Arthur running through the rain and finally walking back through the gates of the citadel.

"Come back to us," he said softly. "You are safe. We are all safe."

His eyes glowed gold and a kind of golden glow settled round Gwaine's body.

Suddenly Gwaine sighed and minutes later his eyes opened.

"It cannot be dawn yet," grumbled Arthur.

Gwen looked over at the large window that looked out over the courtyard. Unable to sleep, the previous evening she had opened all the curtains and drifted between the windows hoping against hope to see her beloved Arthur return.

"It looks like firelight," she said

She wriggled out of Arthur's arms and ran over to the window.

Below in the courtyard stood hundreds of people all carrying torches and candles. They were talking amongst themselves in a kind of hushed whisper and all were turned towards the baclcony.

Gwen looked down at all the faces, young, old, toddlers and even babies, all waiting for one thing…to see their king.

"Arthur, look. Come and see this."

Arthur stumbled out of bed and joined Gwen at the window.

"They know don't they?" she said softly."They're waiting for you."

"But how? We got past all the guards. No-one saw us."

"Well someone did."

At that moment there was a knock on the door.

Gwen asked, "Who is it?"

"Leon My Lady. Can I speak with you?"

Arthur smiled wearily and sighed.

"Let him in Gwen. My moment of peace is over."

Gwen wrapped a shawl over her nightdress and opened the door.

"My Lady," began Sir Leon, "everyone is saying Arthur is back. My servant woke me…..Arthur…I mean Sire….you ARE here!"

Arthur wrapped a sheet around himself and got out of bed.

"Sorry Leon. I'm afraid I got home some hours ago."

He shrugged. "I just wanted a few hours rest before I faced everyone again. But I am safe Leon and that is almost entirely due to Merlin."

Leon nodded, "Of course Arthur, of course you deserve some time to yourself. I apologise for coming to your chambers, but er….. Porrig, the stable boy reported the return of your horse and said he was sure he had seen you and Merlin on the steps. By the time I got dressed there were already people gathering in the courtyard and all the servants were talking about your return. I had to find out if it was true."

Arthur reached out to Leon and grasped his hand.

"You did the right thing Leon. I can't escape my responsibilities. If you give me a moment, I'll get dressed and then you can accompany to the balcony."

Leon couldn't help himself. His smile took over his whole face.

"I an so glad you are back and Merlin too. I will wait for you in the corridor."

On their own again, Arthur embraced his wife.

"Peace over, but at least I had a few hours alone with you. Help me find some clean clothes and we will go and greet the people."

As Arthur walked out onto the balcony, a hush descended over the people below. Then the cheering started and went on and on until Arthur raised his hand and begged for a moment to be heard.

"People of Camelot, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for this welcome. I never thought I would see my home again. That I am here at all, is due almost entirely to the efforts of my former servant Merlin.

I say 'former servant" because from this day forward he will have another position. He is a great sorcerer. Without me knowing, he has protected me for years from Morgana and her allies, and without him we may well not have won our battle against the Saxons.

To celebrate our victory, today will be a holiday. Bring your tables and chairs to the courtyard at noon we shall have a great feast. All will be welcome and the palace will provide as much food as you can eat. We will have a ceremony and Merlin will be honoured as the great hero he is.

Now go back to your homes and prepare for a day of celebration"

At noon, Arthur went to Gius's chambers. With him he took a beautiful blue suede jacket, decorated with gold studs. It had been finished by the court tailor, only minutes before. Merlin was no longer going to wear his shabby brown jacket. From now on he would be dressed as well as the king.

Gius was busy laying the table with bread, ham, and cheese.

He looked up.

"Arthur, Sire, welcome home. I can't tell you how good it is to see you."

He looked towards the door to Merlin's room.

"If you're looking for Merlin. He's awake. Just getting dressed I think. But he was very tired so I thought I would let him sleep, just this once. I was just going to give him a bit of breakfast"

"Well he better get ready quickly," said Arthur with a smile.

"Everyone is waiting to see him pronounced 'The King's Special Advisor.'"

He frowned. "I hope he will think that is a good enough title. I was going to make him a knight but…..well Merlin, armour, jousting…not really his thing is it?"

Gias chuckled, "The Kings Special Advisor? I think that has a very good ring to it."

"What does?"

A crumpled Merlin appeared on the steps from his room. His hair was sticking up and there was a mark on the side of his face where he had slept heavily on a crease in his pillow.

Arthur winked at Gias. "Yep, I think I have pitched it just about right."

He walked over and put an arm round Merlin's shoulders. With his other hand he held out the jacket.

"This is for you so get washed, get changed and join me by the balcony over the courtyard."

Merlin scratched his head. "What for?"

"Your investiture, you idiot. All of Camelot is waiting."

"I'm going to be….invested?"

"King's Special….no…..Most Special Advisor. So come on get ready."

Merlin looked at Gius, who smiled back proudly. Then he grinned at Arthur.

"I don't know what to say. I don't really need a title."

"Well you're having one and no argument."

As Merlin walked onto the balcony, there was a roar from the crowds below.

Merlin couldn't quite believe it, but all around him were happy smiling faces and everyone was cheering…for him.


End file.
